Rawduck Hackney review – fish for Sunday roast, raw duck, cold lamb and more
★★★★☆ / Eclectic

Rawduck Hackney review – fish for Sunday roast, raw duck, cold lamb and more

East End brunch and dinner I’m deeply sceptical about the entire idea of brunch. It’s the original naff restaurant marketing gimmick – add some muesli and eggs to get a whole new meal! Charge extra for some mediocre coffee! While Rawduck didn’t change my mind about this bastard relative of the elevenses, I’m still mightily impressed … Continue reading

Kurobuta Marble Arch review – modern Japanese izakaya falls flat
★★☆☆☆ / Japanese / Sushi/Sashimi

Kurobuta Marble Arch review – modern Japanese izakaya falls flat

An Edgware Road restaurant that isn’t Lebanese Eating at Kurobuta has, if nothing else, confirmed that I’m slowly devolving into a cantankerous old fart. Kurobuta is a modern take on the izakaya, a Japanese food pub, situated on a residential street just off Edgware Road. Originally due to open last Autumn, it was so delayed … Continue reading

Devran review – Green Lanes kebab newcomer
★★★☆☆ / Turkish / Turkish Kebabs

Devran review – Green Lanes kebab newcomer

Getting fat on big-ass kebabs Most of the Turkish restaurants on north London’s Green Lanes have been around for years, so the arrival of an apparent newcomer such as Devran is an unusual occurrence. Its decor fits the Green Lanes template though – murals depicting the Haiga Sophia and other typically Turkish vistas adorn the … Continue reading

Lalibela review – a taste of Ethiopia in Tufnell Park
★★★☆☆ / Ethiopian/Eritrean / Vegetarian

Lalibela review – a taste of Ethiopia in Tufnell Park

Kitsch and kitfo by the kilo* *meat not actually sold by the kilogram. I just like alliteration. Cities and towns across Britain are largely filled with the same ol’ usual suspects when it comes to restaurants – Italian, Indian, Chinese, Thai and perhaps a French place or a gastropub. London, thankfully, is different with some … Continue reading

Berners Tavern review – looks good and tastes even better
★★★★☆ / Modern European / Modernist

Berners Tavern review – looks good and tastes even better

Hotel food with a twist Hotel restaurants are very different from restaurants in hotels. This may seem like a minor semantic difference, but there’s actually a yawning gulf between the two. Hotel restaurants are identikit eateries serving up a large menu of lowest common denominator dishes designed for weary travellers too tired to care and … Continue reading

Smokehouse review – Islington barbecue gastropub
★★★★☆ / Barbecue/BBQ / Gastropub

Smokehouse review – Islington barbecue gastropub

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire? When I surveyed the state of American-style barbecue in London, one of the most common queries was ‘what about Smokehouse?’. However, despite its name Smokehouse isn’t devoted purely to barbecue. This joint venture between Neil Rankin, former head chef at Pitt Cue, and the people behind the nearby Pig and … Continue reading

Malibu Club review – Indian food at the end of the Northern Line
★★★☆☆ / Indian / South Asian

Malibu Club review – Indian food at the end of the Northern Line

Dinner in Erehwon. I sometimes find myself visiting the most obscure restaurants in the course of writing this blog. Malibu Club is a prime example – this little known second floor restaurant, sat above a dodgy-looking bookshop, is a short walk away from Edgware Tube station which is right at the northernmost end of the … Continue reading